How do different types of precipitation form?

Precipitation is a crucial part of the Earth's water cycle, where water vapor in the atmosphere condenses and falls back to the ground. There are several types of precipitation, including rain, snow, hail, and sleet, and each type forms differently.

Rain

Rain is perhaps the most common type of precipitation. It forms when water vapor in the atmosphere cools and condenses into water droplets, which become heavy enough to fall to the ground. The temperature at which condensation occurs is known as the dew point.

Snow

Snow forms when the temperature in the atmosphere is below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius). Water vapor in the atmosphere freezes into ice crystals, which can combine to form snowflakes. The shape and size of a snowflake depend on the temperature and humidity of the air it forms in.

Hail

Hail is formed when raindrops are carried by updrafts in thunderstorms and lifted to high altitudes, where they freeze. As the frozen raindrops are carried by more updrafts and downdrafts, they continue to grow in size until they become too heavy and fall to the ground.

Sleet

Sleet forms when raindrops fall through a layer of freezing air, causing them to freeze into small ice pellets before hitting the ground.